The Webcomic Overlook

Xaviar Xerexes of ComixTalk reports on an interesting development in the Harvey Awards: a lot more webcomics are getting the nod this year.

There are a lot of webcomic angles to the list of nominees this year, including the seven nominations for Jeff Kinney’s Diary of A Wimpy Kid (a comic with a webcomic origin) and 10 noninations for John Gallagher’s Buzzboy which also has it origins in an online version.

In the online category, the nominees include three comics on DC’s Zuda website: BLACK CHERRY BOMBSHELLS, HIGH MOON, NIGHT OWLS, plus PVP, and LEAST I COULD DO. Interestingly enough three webcomics from Zuda also received nominations for Best New Series: HIGH MOON, NIGHT OWLS, and SUPERTRON.

Least I Could Do artist Lar deSouza also snagged nominations for Best Cartoonist and in the Special Award for Humor in Comics. David Malki! of Wondermark also got a nod in the Special Award for Humor category and another one in the SPECIAL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRESENTATION category for his book WONDERMARK, VOL. 1: BEARDS OF OUR FOREFATHERS (which I own a copy of and agree is absolutely deserving of this recognition).

In the BEST BIOGRAPHICAL, HISTORICAL OR JOURNALISTIC PRESENTATION category HOW TO MAKE WEBCOMICS, by Brad Guigar, Dave Kellett, Scott Kurtz, and Kris Straub received a nomination. In the Best Anthology category, FLIGHT VOLUME 5, edited by Kazu Kibuishi received a nomination.

Isn’t this also the year that Scott Kurtz is MC’ing the awards? Congratulations to all the nominees.

In tribute to the late, great Billy Mays, the Joy of Webcomics will be shouting every line in this week’s installment! It’s zany! It’s crazy! It’s backed by my own personal guarantee! It’s… OK, Billy Mays was the only guy in history who could pull of this schtick, God rest his soul. Still, here’s JOY OF WEBCOMICS!

• Amazing Superpowers needs money for beer!
• If you liked the senses-shattering Garfield Without Garfield, get on board with the next big thing! How about reworking Zits with Better Zits? Why can’t I stop yelling?!?!
• Achewood talks about that other guy who died! And it’s like we all died a little inside! Oh my God I’m 10% zombie now!
• Shaun Manning over at Comic Book Resources takes a look at David Gallaher and Steve Ellis’s High Moon! While I reviewed the comic a while back, I hadn’t caught up with it past the first arc, so it’s interesting to see where the story went from there:
  

  In the first three story arcs of “High Moon,” there are a few interesting shifts, the first being a bit of Western mystery (plus werewolves), then adding some steampunk elements in book 2, and wrapping up with some mysticism/demon fighting, all of which gave Ellis a lot of distinct material to draw. “It’s always a challenge working on ‘High Moon,’ but I am a glutton for punishment,” he said. “While the theme of the Old West and the historical content ties everything together, the stories go in many different directions. There is always something new and cool to draw, whether its demon wolves, multi-eyed bat monsters, giant steam engine golems – it’s always a blast.”

  The upcoming fourth arc of “High Moon” will take its cue from a classic Warren Zevon song, describing the story as “Ah-ooo! Werewolves of London.” “It’s spring of 1891 and Conroy Macgregor is heading to London to find out more about the mystery behind Prescott’s little bottle and the group behind the mysterious symbol on the bottom of the bottle,” Ellis explained. “London in the 1890s has a lot of interesting things for a werewolf to find himself involved in.”

  Not enough exclamation points there, Manning! Go back to playing football! The article also gives a nice glimpse into the working relationship between Zuda Comics and the creators, as well as Ellis’ artistic influences!

• Bengo at The Floating Lightbulb tells us that there’s some sort of HUGE WEBCOMIC CROSSOVER going on! I have honestly never heard of these titles, but that should be no surprise because I am living under a rock! A rock that can look brand new with the power of OxiClean!

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!

• Elle Dee is a bigger fan of Gisele Lagace’s post-Penny and Aggie output than I am. So what does she think of Eerie Cuties? See for yourself! All that, and she throws in her opinion of Menage a 3 (reviewed at The Webcomic Overlook here) ABSOLUTELY FREE!!!!

  OK, I’m done now. Well, except for this.